Mirror Talk
by OnceUponATimeLove
Summary: he thought Belle left but actually she was trapped in a mirror, can he rescue her in time?


**A/N: Written at two in the morning, I hope it doesnt stink:) **

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She never came home from getting straw. He wasn't surprised, he figured she would run.

That was a lie.

He thought she would return to him. He really did. He didn't think she was the type just to leave. But she didn't return.

He waited in front of the window in his tower for hours, until a breath of pink began to waken the dark sky. He wondered if she was in distress. Then he remembered what he told her before she left.

_"If you are in trouble, or you need me for any reason, just call my name and I will come in an instant." She nodded and smiled, he watched her walk away until he couldn't see her anymore. _

She never called.

He tried to sleep but it eluded him, he finally made his way down to his spinning wheel.

_Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock_.

There was a steady rapping noise. He frowned and cast his magic to all the doors in the house but no one was there.

_Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock._

He began prowling the room. Where was that noise coming from? He checked his cabinet of curiosity's.

He checked the windows.

He checked the secret door behind the fireplace.

Nothing.

Finally he stood beside his wheel, silently waiting.

_BANG! BANG BANG BANG!_ The noise was louder and more frantic. He followed the sound and stood before his covered mirror. He kept all of the mirrors in his home covered on principle, so that the Queen couldn't spy at her whim. He slowly, carefully pulled the cover off the mirror.

There she was. Palms pressed against the mirror, tears on her cheeks.

Belle.

"BELLE!" He yelled, pressing his palms over hers. Her mouth moved rapidly. Speaking his name and other words that he couldn't decipher. He shook his head.

"I can't hear you, dearie." She frowned. "Can you hear me?" He asked gently. She nodded.

"Where are you?" she gestured behind her. It looked to him like a dungeon. "Did the Queen take you?" She nodded vehemently and crossed her arms, speaking again, it appeared that her mouth formed some rather vulgar words and Rumplestiltskin smiled in spite of the situation. Then his face darkened. Belle's face paled and she whirled around.

The Queen stood smiling horribly. She waved cheekily at Rum and he was really tempted to show her how he felt about that wave. He knew though, that it was best he didn't say anything. He had to play this cool if he wanted Belle back. The Queen turned her back on him and spoke to Belle. Belle pinched her lips together and stood quietly until the Queen turned back to look at Rum one last time and winked before she left the cell and shut the door.

For the first time in many many years Rumplestiltskin didn't know what to do.

Belle stood there shakily for a moment before sitting down before the mirror and wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Belle." He said softly crouching down in front of her. She looked up at him, blue eyes angry and sad and scared and brave all at once. "I won't leave you there." He said, "I'll get you out." She nodded and watched as he stood up and began to work.

They remained like that, silent companions for days. Well mostly. He would read to her, and sit beside her leaning against the mirror as she did the same on the other side. He didn't eat, he didn't sleep, he worked tirelessly because he would be damned if he let anyone take this girl away from him.

One morning he noticed that Belle wasn't up and moving around like she normally did. She was curled up in a ball before the mirror, facing his workstation and shivering.

"Belle?" He asked crouching down. "Are you okay?"

She nodded slightly.

This was bad.

She was sick.

He worked faster, harder, trying to find a way to reach through the mirror and get her. She got worse each day, and he was terrified, terrified that she would die.

That he would fail her, just like he did Magda and Bae.

He would die too. He finally admitted it to himself.

He was in love with her.

He almost had it, the spell was a complicated one, three little ones woven together to form the big one. He needed to make sure he wouldn't trap them both when he went to get her.

He finished it late that night, and when he went to the mirror and called her name she didn't respond. She lay in a small ball next to the mirror, face pale and calm. She looked dead. He reached through the mirror and slid his arms under her thin body. The door burst open and guards tried to grab her but he was too quick. He had her through the mirror and into his arms before anyone could get her. He made a face at the guards and with a flick of his fingers the mirror was covered and she was in his bedroom.

"Belle?" He whispered, smoothing his fingers over her face.

She didn't respond, her breathing was shallow; she was thinner that she was before, and had an unhealthy pallor over her skin.

He started on his magical healing soup and managed to get a bowl down her throat before he passed out, exhausted on the bed next to her.

He woke up to a warm hand on his cheek, another playing with his hair. He opened his eyes and found himself staring into a pair of large blue ones.

"Belle?" He croaked.

"You've been saying that a lot recently." She murmured, smiling.

"I've had reason too." He replied. He tried to sit up but she pushed him back down. "Not a chance. You have been working nonstop for about a week. You haven't even eaten, sleep now."

Rumplestiltskin was stubborn though, "No, tell me what happened." Belle sighed.

"She got me on my way back, shoved me in that little room with the mirror. I recognized the cover, gods know I cleaned it enough times, and began pounding on the blasted thing hoping you could hear me. I knocked for hours before I heard you shuffling around, looking to see what it was. Then you found me, and I have never been happier to see a person in my entire life."

His cheeks warmed slightly at that. "What did she say to you?" He asked.

"She wanted to see if true love could really break any curse." She said quietly, picking at his bedspread. They were both silent for a moment. He was on the cusp of speaking when she continued.

"Anyways, I watched you work, and it was comforting to hear you grumbling and muttering away. It distracted me from that room, I could hear screaming, and crying, but I latched on to your voice and I blocked it out for the most part, but then I got sick, and it got worse, and I figured if I could just watch you until I died I would be happy." Rumplestiltskin made a small sound in the back of his throat and she smiled up at him. "Last thing I remember is you picking me up and pulling me back, feeding me some nasty soup and making me go to sleep. When I woke up you were lying next to me looking horrid so I shoved some of the nasty soup down YOUR throat and it seemed to fix you right up. Then the Queen came-"

"THE QUEEN CAME?!" He yelled outraged.

"I told the magic not to let her in; it seemed the whole castle protected us."

"You told the magic…"

"Yes, it was weird; it was like I was the mistress of some palace ordering servants around. I almost didn't notice until it tapped me on the head and asked what I wanted. It nearly scared me out of my wits."

"Ah." He said, it made sense. He made a magical staff that kept the house clean (for the most part) before Belle came. "How are you feeling?" He asked, trying to distract himself from the thoughts of her being the mistress of the castle.

"Much better." She whispered, "Thank you." He smiled at her, trying not to fall asleep. "Go to sleep." She said, and he could swear he felt soft lips press against his forehead as he slipped away.

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**A/N: If you would deign to review this i would be much obliged:)**


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